Epple Druckfarben AG in Neusäß is looking to permanently safeguard its leading position in sheetfed offset inks: through reorganisation, innovative products and a clear customer and market orientation. The current market situation and eco-nomic climate requires a great deal of courage and creativity from mid-sized com-panies – and the board has issued a rallying cry to the industry.

Sinking sales volumes for sheetfed offset inks, high raw material prices, enormous cost pressure on printing ink sales prices: The current market developments are extremely challenging, particularly for mid-sized companies like Epple Druckfarben AG. Spokes-person of the Executive Board, Dr. Carl Epple, puts it into perspective: “For us and many market players, there is no other option than to pass on the price increases from our supply chain, at least in part. This is the only way to retain a sustainable, healthy busi-ness and meet our responsibilities towards our employees and the market. But, as long as we continue to convince our customers with the well-known benefits offered by our product quality and service, I still see the overall Epple package to be competitive”.

Dr. Carl Epple continues: “The prevailing attitude in the print market worries me greatly. Companies are ‘working against each other’ whether that be the paper industry versus the print industry, or competition among printers or manufacturer of printing inks. Our industry is weakening itself in those areas where we actually need strong solidarity. Only a diverse printing industry can maintain innovative strength and good future prospects.”

The Epple Druckfarben AG is safeguarding its own long-term competitiveness with a new organisation that will support agile and streamlined processes. Epple Druckfarben AG will continue to hold on to and support its three strengths: innovative, high-quality sheetfed offset inks that are “Made in Germany”; customer proximity to ensure that spe-cific requirements can be flexibly met, and system engineering consultancy and reliable service for printing houses.